All the time in the world
by LittlemissSherlock
Summary: Thor AU! Loki and Anna are childhood friends. But when Anna's life slowly starts to crumble and their friendship fades, will Loki realise that there was more to it that he realised. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THOR OR MARVEL!


Chapter 1

It was a well known fact amongst the waiting staff in the grand palace of Asgard that when the widowed Lord Sanborn and his daughter visited chaos ruled the halls...and the small closets. This was because the young masters delighted in playing games with the Lord's lively daughter Anna in a long, mischievous game of hide and seek across the palace grounds.

The young princes and their small friend delighted in remaining scarce while armies of nurses and guards chased after them throughout the palace and then jumping out from their hiding places with impeccable timing to scare half the palace staff to death. Despite being able to sense the looming anxiety and paranoia of the silent children, many of the palace staff enjoyed hearing the childish shrieks of delight that filled the echoing halls.

At least one afternoon a week Thor and Loki got relief of their boring adult maids constantly prattling on about rules and enjoyed the company of the young Lady Anna Sanborn. She provided hours of entertainment and laughter and she wasn't afraid to run around in her good shoes unlike most of the other girls they had come across. She did however, much to Thor's disappointment, like to spend at least one afternoon a month spend the day in the palace's massive and very comprehensive library. Loki was very pleased to provide company and often picked out books for her to read.

To most of the palace staff, Anna was a curiosity. Short for age but with an overdeveloped vocabulary and mind. She had auburn hair and an innocent face with large inquisitive and unusual green eyes. Along with her innocent looks which she received from her late mother, Anna also gained the kindness and empathy her father frequently showed to others as well as to her. She always apologised to the maids after making them jump 2 feet in the air, much to Loki's surprise.

However this particular day Anna felt like reading. She entered into the grand palace with guards towering over her but was not afraid as her father was by her side as he always was. They made their way into the golden throne room where Odin and Frigga sat in animated discussion at the other end. This was where being short had its disadvantages as it was a large room and therefore the distance between the door and the throne was half a marathon. By the time they had reached the thrones to politely bow and curtsy The All father and his wife had finished talking and Anna was out of breath.

"My Old friend, punctual as ever!" Odin exclaimed merrily to the Lord, "We were just discussing how silent the halls are today."

"Indeed," Sanborn chuckled, "I'm sure we could fix that."

"Oh I have no doubt," Frigga commented light-heartedly before turning to look at his daughter, "how have you been Anna?"

"Very-"

-"I AM GOING TO GET YOU LOKI!" roared Thor shortly followed by a stampede of fast-paced but slightly light footsteps.

"You'd like to think, brother!" Loki laughed as they both clattered into the throne room in a ball of crazed energy with limbs and insults flying. With everyone's attention diverted Anna snuck in a muffled chuckle before turning to face her battling friends.

Frigga swiftly got up and separated them with an expression of pure horror. The boys stood 5 feet apart with an air of shame lingering around them. Thor was rubbing his fist and flicking his golden blonde hair out of his eyes. Out of the two ashamed boys he stood the most proud - clearly he had landed a punch. Loki on the other hand was rubbing his left temple with clear discomfort. He then raised his head and scanned his audience. His green eyes widened and filled with delight when they locked with a very familiar pair of mossy green eyes. Anna was here.

"Your majesties I am so sorry..." A maid apologised profusely while stumbling into the ever-growing crowd in the hall. This broke the tension as Odin dismissed her but with the slightest hint of a laugh. At that Anna began to uncontrollably giggle which was contagious.

After 5 minutes of giggling turning to guffawing in laughter it all died down to a merry smile on everyone's lips.

"Boy's where are your manners?" Frigga whispered harshly to her sons. This kickstarted them back into reality.

"Lord Sanborn!" Thor exclaimed dramatically in greeting before bowing. Loki followed his lead and bowed with out any extra drama.

"Lady Anna," Loki said happily and softly before bowing again and Thor also shouted her title.

Anna walked up to them and then smiled, "I have no idea why you still bow to me. We are too close for formality, don't you think?"

"That and you hate it when we bow because me only reach your height with our eyes looking at the ground," Loki chucked. Anna gave an over-exaggerated look of unamusement before smiling again.

"May I go papa?" she asked enthusiastically. Her father politely turned his head to Odin and Frigga and Anna followed his gaze. They gave a short nod of approval before the three took off down a different hall.

"Such a strange friendship for three so young," Odin mused.

"Indeed, but entertaining," Sanborn answered.

Down the hall Thor stopped the group and turned to Anna.

"So Lady Anna, what is our game today?" He asked enthusiastically with his eyes wild with energy and excitement.

"I am sorry Thor but today I would rather spend in the library," she answered sadly. Thor was crestfallen. Feeling bad for Thor's disappointment Anna put on a sly smile, "But I do have a challenge for you."

Thor raised his head and grinned.

"I need you to find me something starting with every letter of the alphabet in the palace," Anna explained, "Are you willing to accept your challenge?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Thor eagerly shouted back.

"Ok, GO!"

Thor took off at incredible speed in the opposite direction to the library. Loki chuckled as he and Anna leisurely made their way to the palace's extensive library.

"I have no idea how you have that talent and I do not," Loki pondered as they walked.

"What talent?"

"The talent to get rid of Thor so quickly," Loki chuckled. Anna joined in while simultaneously rolling her eyes.

"It's not a talent and I didn't want to get rid of him," Anna defended. Loki gave her a 'really?' look, "alright fine. But it was because of the last time he spent the day in the library with us. He can be way too loud some times."

"Agreed."

They reached the double doors into the library and Anna couldn't help but gasp every time she entered. Loki always enjoyed her amazement at what he thought was normal. He had clearly never been to her father's library. She skimmed her small hands along the leather spines of the books reading the glistening titles on each one.

"Not that I don't love the days we spend in the library but why so soon in the month?" Loki asked. Anna had limited her time in the library to one visit a month to make sure Thor did not feel left out. It was usually the last visit in the month.

"My governess, the old bat that she is, said that I should not be reading most of the novels in my father's collection as it fills my head with too much knowledge which is bad for getting a husband. Knowledge intimidates men apparently. So she's banned me from all books but the soft, childish novels my mother read to me when I was a baby," She explained.

"That's just not right," Loki agreed.

"I know!"

"So what do you want to read?"

"History!" Anna exclaimed. Loki looked up at the bookshelf in front of him and sighed. She had to pick the books on one of the top shelves.

The palace library was filled to the brim with books. It had large, tall mahogany bookshelves that went as high as the ceiling along the walls. There were window seats on the few windows without any bookshelf blocking them. It was lit by large glass chandeliers with over a hundred candles needing to be lit in the evening. Loki stood at the bottom of one of the book shelves, looking up at it as it towered over him, to try and find a way to the history books on the eighth shelf. Than he got an idea.

"Why do you always pick the hardest books to reach?" he asked Anna. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you want me to get the ladder?" she asked simply.

"No. No need."

"Loki?" she asked slowly.

"Stand back," he ordered. He raised his hands and closed his eyes trying to picture the bookshelf like his mother taught him. Well, adopted mother. Loki was adopted and he felt on the outside sometimes but there was no other family he knew so it didn't bother him as much any more. As for being on the outside; Anna was on the outside with him. He was never properly lonely and he knew it.

"What are you doing?" Anna whispered to him, putting off his concentration.

"Just wait!" He replied back, whispering harshly.

He closed his eyes again and began to picture the books. Anna watched with curiosity as her close friend's pale face scrunched up in concentration as his skinny arms remained raised above his head. Then all of a sudden a slight scuffling sound could be heard. Books then began to shuffle out from their spot on the eighth shelf and seemingly float in mid air as more and more began to pile themselves one on top of the other.

"Magic," Anna breathed in awe. As Loki began to lower his hands and so the books began to drift down to their level. He had successfully retrieved the history books for her!

But then Loki opened his eyes confidently and the large heavy books dropped to the ground suddenly with a collective thud; scattering at their feet. One managed to clip Anna on the shoulder before continuing its journey to the floor.

"I think you need to work on your landing," Anna joked, rubbing her sore shoulder. Loki chuckled in response before picking up the books he had dropped.

"Which one do you want to start with?" he asked. She walked forward and grabbed on of the thick, leather-bound books before settling herself on the nearest, cushioned window seat. Loki joined her after selected a novel on magic which he was currently reading through.

They spent hours in the library sharing interesting facts and funny paragraphs from their books and making small conversation but most of the hours where filled with comfortable silence, knowing they would not be disturbed. Thor joined them much later, out of breath and with a bag of random objects found throughout the palace like he was tasked. He settled down in front of them, with his back against the seat they were sitting on.

As it began to get dark, Lord Sanborn, Odin and Frigga began to wonder where the children could be. They searched up and down the palace before looking into the slowly-darkening library. They found all three children huddled on one window seat sound asleep. Both Loki and Anna where on the seat with abandoned books on their laps and Anna's head resting comfortably on Loki's shoulders. Thor was lying at their feet with his head on a large pile of books and his mouth wide open. It was a miracle the adults had not heard his snoring.

"What a well-spent day it has been," Lord Sanborn commented with a smile before lifting his sleeping daughter into his arms to go home. While Odin and Frigga planned another day to bring the Lord and his entertaining daughter back to the palace again.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello again! Please let me know what you think. I am open to anything! I really would love your opinion so please review!**


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